The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-01

| can hide them from him, and so we will
surprise him all at once. He has probably
| forgotten by this time what he said, and we
| will take care not to remind him of it." So
| the girls went to work, first taking their
mother into their confidence, as sundry
bits of bright silk and flannel they wished
| to use must not be taken from the family
scrap bag without her permission. Minnie
| planned gorgeous pincushion and tidy to
| match, each with the word bob" in large
| letters running across it, worked in gilt
rabid, and as he too, had dilapdated old
| rocking chair in his room, his sisters de-
| cided to crochet cover for that also. For
tunately there would be no expense con-
nected with this, as their grandmother,
knowing their task for crochet work, had
| sent them at Christmas a large box filled
with worsteds in various shades
This was now the 18th of Nav, and as
their brothers birthday came upon the 9th
OF June, their time was limited, as in ad-
| dition to studying out of school hours their
mother required of them some assistance
every day in houseworS; but ''where there's
a will, there's away" and by improving the
| odd minutes they were astonished at the
end of fortnight, to find how much they had
| accomplished. One morning, when Bob
| had started earlier for school than usual,
| having an errand to do for his father on
| his way, the girls brought together in his
room all the little knick-knacks they had
made, and began to place them in position
Ito see how they will look" as Julia said.
''See here, Min," said she Show this red
merino shows off these pretty shells of
Bob's. I'm so glad thought of it." Min
ME had been dressing the old rocking
chair in it's new cover, but suddenly she
stopped short. "What is the use,n said
she, ''of trying to make this room look nice,
with this old faded carpet on the -four?
just see, Julia, how much worse it looks.
now the chair cover is done. Too strong a
contrast, you see." Julia sat down with a
sigh. Eyes, have thought of that good
deal.'' said she, land l even brought our
rug in, one day, and laid it down in front
OF the bed, but the carpet looked worse
than ever then" 1t was, indeed, a shabby
affair, and do what they would with bits
of oil cloth here and there at Minnie's sug-
gestion, it still doomed up faded and thread
bare; and noWonder for had it not already
done ten years good service on fathers
study floor, and was it not time for it to
grow old and worm like every thing else on
this mundane sphere? ''If we could only
afford new one,n sighed Minnie, and
thereupon she rushed off to get mother to
come up and see 1t.
As the wife of poor clergyman on
small salary, Mrs. Halsey had long ago
learned to conjugate the verb ''to econo-
mize" in all its moods and lenses, and SO
skilled had she become in applying 1t to the
various household necessities, that she was
valuable member OF the family committee
on ways and means, whenever it was IN
session. But she could give her daughters
no help this time Il had hoped - she said,
"to be able to get new carpet for the sit
ting-room this spring, and take the old one
for this room. But your father will have
urgent need OF every dollar of his salary
to meet his bills, and we must not think of
buying anything that we can possibly get
along without. So am afraid Bobby will
have to keep his old carpet" SO, dear!"
exclaimed Minnie, II wish it was the fash
ion to crochet carpets. | would make one
In minute" AT this her mother and sister
laughed heartily, and the former assured
her that it would take more than one minute
to accomplish such feat, and asked her if
she thought it would wear long enough to
pay for the time consumed in crochetng
it. At this juncture, Mr.. Halsey's voice
was heard below, asking for his wife, as he
had letter for her. 1t proved to be from
the dear old grandmother in Connecticut,
and one part OF her letter we will quote:
II have not forgotten" she wrote, .'that
Bobbie's birthday is drawing near, and |
have just finished bedquilt for him. 1t is
the same pattern as the one | made
for Julia and Minnie, but the colors
are different. l will send it by
ayr in nj
do not let him see it until his birth
day, and then give it to him with my
love.n When the girls heard this, Minnie
fairly clapped her hands with delight, and
Julia exclaimed: 'The very thing! l do
hope, as ours is blue and white, that his
will be red and white" which wish
was gratified, as in few days the box ar
rived, and the quilt was found to be com
posed of scarlet chintz, set together with
white.
1t still wanted week to the birthday,
and all was in readiness, but the subject of
the carpet was a sore one, and the sisters
had again and again wondered if there was
not some way in which they could earn
money enough to buy it themselves. But
no way of doing so having presented itself
Julia declared one afternoon, as she and
Minnie were setting the tea-table, that she
was sure the bare floor would look better
than that old carpet. Minnie had just
agreed with her, when the door-bell rang,
and going to answer it, she recognized
young man who for some time had been a
regular attendant upon her fathers Sun
day morning Bible class. He asked to see
Mr.. Halsey, and she showed him into the
study, and soon forgot the circumstance,
supposing he had called upon business.
While the family were at supper Mr..
Halsey remarked, ''we are to have a we'd
ding in the church on Monday afternoon"
so, who is going to be married, fathern
asked Julia and Minnie both at once. ''That
young Mr.. Benson who called little
while ago." he replied. ''Do you know
who is to be the bride" asked Mrs.
Halsey! 'Not any one in our church." her
husband answered. sShe is one of the
young ladies at Mrs. Stowers dressmaking
rooms, and l imagine she has not been a
regular church-goer. At any rate, Mr.
Benson told me she had no choice as to
what minister should marry them, but left
it to him to decide. AS she is an orphan,
living at boarding house, they concluded
to have church wedding.n
''How nice" said Minnie. ~ do hope it
will be after school, so that we can CO."
and she was much gratifed to find that
four o'clock was the appointed hour.
Julia and Minute, like most girls of four
teen and sixteen wears of aye liked to at